NBCUniversal Lays Off Staffers at USA Network, Syfy

NBCUniversal entertainment networks president Chris McCumber announced layoffs Wednesday for the staff at both USA Network and Syfy, TheWrap has learned.

According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, less than 10 percent of the workforce at both networks will be affected.

“As we all know, this is a time of major change in our industry,” McCumber said in an internal memo obtained by TheWrap. “In order to continue to thrive in this current environment, we need to take every opportunity to look at our business in a completely fresh way.”

McCumber then outlined a new structure, which will see executives take on responsibilities for both networks. McCumber is also creating two new departments by combining several others under his purview: content strategy and original co-productions.

“Change is never easy, but it’s essential to meet not only the challenges of today, but those of the future,” McCumber continued. “Fortunately, we are making these changes from a position of strength.”

In April, NBCUniversal bought DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion. Should the deal go through the requisite regulatory oversight — which is expected to happen later this year — DWA will become part of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, which includes Universal Pictures, Fandango and NBCUniversal Brand Development.

As we all know, this is a time of major change in our industry. In order to continue to thrive in this current environment, we need to take every opportunity to look at our business in a completely fresh way. It’s why, this February, we formed the new Entertainment Networks group, combining the strengths of USA Network and Syfy – two of the largest and most successful cable networks in the business – along with distinctive brands Chiller and Cloo.

Since taking on my new role, I’ve given careful and thoughtful consideration to our group with one main goal in mind: to design an organizational structure that operates more creatively and effectively, positioning us all for future success.

To that end, today I am announcing some changes that will maximize the potential of our strong brands, and harness our collective strengths to form one cohesive, collaborative, best-in-class team.

Senior executives across the entire Entertainment Networks group will now take on responsibility for both USA and Syfy, allowing us to streamline our structure and provide the flexibility to deploy our talent when and where they are most needed. And while many of you will have the exciting opportunity to work on multiple networks, some functions will remain dedicated to specific network brands where necessary.

My direct reports, including Alexandra Shapiro, EVP, Marketing and Digital; Rob Spodek, CFO; Katherine Nelson, SVP, Communications; and David Giles, SVP, Research will continue to provide strategic leadership across the group, alongside the leaders of two newly-formed departments: Content Strategy and Original Co-Productions.

Content Strategy, which will be made up of the combined programming, scheduling and acquisitions teams, will be focused on the strategic use of all available platforms to deliver our networks’ content. I will be announcing new leadership for this important group in the near future.

The Original Co-Productions team, previously part of scheduling and acquisitions, will now become its own department under the leadership of Chris Regina, SVP, Original Co-Productions. Chris has had incredible success at Syfy with co-productions such as the Sharknado franchise and Z Nation. He will report to me and work closely with Bill McGoldrick in original content.

Change is never easy, but it’s essential to meet not only the challenges of today, but those of the future. Fortunately, we are making these changes from a position of strength. 2015 marked USA’s 10th consecutive year as the #1 cable entertainment network, and Syfy is in the midst of a creative evolution that’s being widely embraced by critics and viewers alike.

Please stay tuned in the very near future for an invitation to a town hall, and thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support.

- Chris

10 Journalism Movies To Share the 'Spotlight' With

"All The President's Men" is the film that many critics have compared "Spotlight" to, and there's little wonder why. "Spotlight" follows the path blazed by the Robert Redford/Dustin Hoffman classic recounting the Watergate scandal, showing the investigative reporting process in great detail and exposing the roadblocks that reporters face when trying to uncover the truth.

It's a shame the "Star Wars" prequels made many moviegoers cringe at the thought of Hayden Christensen, because his performance in "Shattered Glass" is a must-see. Christensen plays Stephen Glass, a reporter from The New Republic who was fired in 1998 for fabricating many of his stories.

Forty years after its release, "Network" remains one of the most potent satires not just in cinema, but in any medium. Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning script bitterly attacks broadcast media for sacrificing the public good for salacious stories that will get ratings. Today, as the media chases after Donald Trump for more and more scandalous quotes, "Network" has proven to be prophetic. Again.

In a similar vein as "Network," but a generation earlier, there's Billy Wilder's "Ace In the Hole," which stars Kirk Douglas as an opportunistic, down-on-his-luck reporter who discovers a man trapped in a collapsed cave in New Mexico and uses it as an opportunity to regain his former big-city glory. Even back in 1951, sensationalism in the press was being examined in film.

Back on the more idealistic side of journalism movies, there's George Clooney's "Good Night And Good Luck," which features David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow as he takes on Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare. The concluding speech cautions about the potential and dangers of television that "Network" looks at more cynically.

From Australia, "Balibo" retells the true story of Roger East, a reporter who traveled to East Timor to investigate the disappearance of five other journalists just before the invasion of Indonesia in 1975. The film features "Ex Machina" star Oscar Isaac as Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta before his rise to the East Timor presidency.

The wittiest take on arts journalism is Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous," a dramedy about an aspiring music journalist covering a rising band for Rolling Stone. The film is based on Crowe's own experiences at Rolling Stone, and features Philip Seymour Hoffman as legendary rock writer Lester Bangs in one of the most famous "job warning" speeches ever.

The words of Hunter S. Thompson, patron saint of gonzo journalism, are captured brilliantly by Johnny Depp in "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas." Thompson's writing crackles with life, and Depp's narration sets it ablaze. Listen to his reading of the famous "Wave Speech," which brings forth Thompson's ability to find beauty even in the ugly side of America that he always reveled in.

"Broadcast News," James L.Brooks' rom-com drama, has been praised for its insightful look at the day-to-day life inside a broadcast newsroom. Featuring a love triangle between an unseasoned anchorman (William Hurt), a high-strung producer (Holly Hunter) and an ambitious reporter (Albert Brooks), this is a much lighter alternative to "The Newsroom."

"Citizen Kane." Come on, does this need further introduction? Orson Welles' masterpiece is one of the heavyweight contenders in the Greatest Movie Ever debate, and a sobering look at the slow death of journalistic idealism at the hands of power and greed. Some 75 years later, that loss of faith in journalistic ideals seems to be more widespread in society. Maybe that's why "Spotlight" won Best Picture: it reminds us that truth-seekers aren't as extinct today as we sometimes may think.

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From odes to investigative reporting to biting satires of mass media, journalism and the movies have a long history together

"All The President's Men" is the film that many critics have compared "Spotlight" to, and there's little wonder why. "Spotlight" follows the path blazed by the Robert Redford/Dustin Hoffman classic recounting the Watergate scandal, showing the investigative reporting process in great detail and exposing the roadblocks that reporters face when trying to uncover the truth.